Falling
by LavenderCrystalOfRoses
Summary: One fateful night brings a new leader, a new code, and grief. Based On Ch. Ten in Code Of The Clans.


**A/N: My first CookieClan challenge! This based off story in Code Of The Clans, Code 10.**

"Ripplestar, hang on!" Cried Finchstar as he leaned over the Great Rock to try and pull his fellow leader to safety. Marshscar watched in horror as Ripplestar lost his grip for a moment, then held on more tightly the ever. But it was clear he was slipping further and further out of Finchstar's reach. _He's slipping! _Memories, first the most recent, of the night's attack on the gathering, which was failing so miserably, and then, much, much, earlier...

_"Marshkit." A black and orange tom with vivid yellow eyes approached a tiny gray kit._

_"Yes, Rippleheart? How was the battle?" Marshkit asked the clan deputy._

_Rippleheart stared in the distance, clearly upset. "I-I don't know how to say this to you, Marshkit." He murmured softly, his voice breaking._

_**Tell me what? **__Marshkit wondered in bewilderment, at the same time sensing that something was very wrong._

_"Well...there was a big battle, bigger then we anticipated, and, well, there was your father... well, he- he won't be returning."_

_"What?! No!" He yowled in shock and grief._

_"I'll be your father, Marshkit." Rippleheart whispered._

_Marshkit barely heard him."No! Not after mama!" "Not after mama!" He wailed in despair remembering his father and mother. _

Now he regretted being so self absorbed, for he knew now Ripplestar had been grieving as well, being his father's littermate as well as his best friend...

_Scraaaaape. _Thesoundof claws, slipping, releasing unwillingly from the Great Rock...

_"Marshpaw! How is your shoulder?" Asked Ripplestar, entering the medicine cat's den where Marshpaw was resting, several cobwebs on his shoulder._

_"Much better, Ripplestar, thank you. Sunstorm put some cobwebs on it..." Marshpaw murmured sleepily. _

_"Good. I'm glad you're alright." Meowed Ripplestar, his yellow eyes warm._

_"What was the battle for again?" Asked Marshpaw, briefly rembering the shocked look on their target's faces._

_"I caught a patrol of WindClan on our territory! Those filthy Prey - stealers." He spat angrily at the mention of the WindClan prey-stealers._

_Marshpaw winced at the clan leader's harsh tone._

* * *

Then a bolt of jagged lightning, and with a terrified yowl, Ripplestar started falling...

_No! No! _Marshscar pleaded.

_"Marshpaw, from this moment on you will be known Marshscar. Starclan honors your Bravery and your Courage, and we honor you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Said Ripplestar._

_"Marshscar, Marshscar!" _

_"Marshscar, Marshscar!"_

_"Marshscar, Marshscar!"_

_"Marshscar, Marshscar!"_

_Ripplestar had cheered Marshscar's new name the loudest of all the clan._

_Marshscar had obtained several more scars in battles that Ripplestar had issued by then, and he was very proud of all of them._

But, right now, he would give every last one of his battle scars to save his leader..his kin...his _father..._

* * *

_**And then, earlier ...**_

_"We'll lead an attack on the gathering! We'll show them that we, ShadowClan is the strongest of althe other clans, ThunderClan, SkyClan, WindClan, and RiverClan after this harsh leaf - bare!" Ripplestar yowled in a passion._

_"ShadowClan! Shadowclan! ShadowClan!" His clanmates yowled back with equal vigor._

_Marshscar had yowled along with them, brimming with unwavering confidence for Ripplestar's bold plan._

Ripplestar was falling...plumneting...

Right then, Marshscar was running, sprinting...he could save him...catch him...break his fall somehow...

But it was too late, becuse right then there was a sickening crunch as Ripplestar collided with the ground.

Then he was gone.

"NOOOO!" Yowled Marshscar."Murderer!" He spat in a rage, glaring hatefully up at Finchstar, needing, wanting, grasping at _something _to explain that the day, he'd never wanted, never anticipated, never even thought about, that had finally come.

_It was his last life... _

Finchstar shook his head sorrowfully. "It was not I who killed him, Marshscar. It was the decree of StarClan."

_How could they?!_

In the moons following, Marshscar would become Marshstar, leader of ShadowClan.

He would see Ripplestar and his dead parents as he received his nine lives.

There would be a new edition to the rapidly growing warrior code, that _A Gathering Is A Truce, No Matter What_.

But for now, it was simply a time of mourning, and Marshscar was simply a cat who had lost a loved one.

**A/N**: **When I got my prompt for this story, I decided to use **_**Code Of The Clans**_** as a base for this story because when I read Chapter 10 I felt that there must have been something more to Marshscar ad Ripplestar that made Marshscar grieve so deeply when Ripplestar lost his last life, also I thought there might be another side to the story. Don't forget to read and review! :)**


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